Hijack Season 2 Review: Idris Elba’s 90% Apple TV Thriller Goes Off the Rails

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I really enjoyed ‘Hijack’ when it first came out last year. It had a classic structure – a clear start, middle, and end – and it was brilliantly tense and unpredictable. It followed Idris Elba as a negotiator trying to resolve a plane hijacking, and the six-episode miniseries wrapped things up nicely. But it seems like even though it felt complete, they’re thinking about continuing the story somehow, which is surprising!

The first season of Hijack was a hit, earning a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the show’s second season unfortunately diminishes its original success. The new season finds Sam once again dealing with a hijacking – this time on a German train – and predictably attempts to negotiate a peaceful resolution. However, beyond a single twist at the beginning, the season retreads familiar ground from the first, offering a disappointingly repetitive and shallow experience.

Hijack Season 2 Relies on the Familiar Structure of Season 1

The first season, created by George Kay and directed by Jim Field Smith, was a genuinely exciting, fast-paced eight-hour ride. Unfortunately, Season 2 feels like a rehash of old ideas, despite a surprising twist introduced in the first episode. But one good surprise isn’t enough to make up for a season filled with confusing plot points, slow-moving conversations, and a story that feels stuck, much like the show’s central train incident.

The main problem with Season 2 is that the reasons behind the plot happen off-camera, between the end of Season 1 and the start of Season 2. Usually, it’s okay for things to happen off-screen if they aren’t important or are just extra details. However, that doesn’t work here in Hijack. Sam goes through a lot of hardship after the Season 1 finale, and the show relies on telling us about it instead of showing it.

This event is so significant it might make you question your memory of the first season. As Season 2 unfolds, the story gets increasingly complex, and characters from the past reappear. However, if you watched Hijack more than two years ago, you’ve likely forgotten these characters. While Season 1 was thrilling, it’s the kind of show that’s easily forgotten amidst newer, more memorable content. It’s a real challenge to recall the supporting characters from the first season.

As a big fan of the original, I have to say a lot of what made the first season so gripping feels a bit predictable now. It’s like the writers keep pulling new villains out of nowhere – one after another, it just feels repetitive. We’re stuck watching people in a control room – cops, government folks, train dispatchers – trying to manage everything, with threats and demands flying around. Ultimately, it all builds to revealing the mastermind, but honestly, it feels a little too familiar. It’s basically the same story as before, just moved from an airplane to a train, and it doesn’t quite have the same impact.

The Cast of Hijack Season 2 Take Their Roles in Stride

The first season expertly balanced the drama on the plane with events happening on the ground, creating constant tension. The British government faced immense pressure – other nations threatened to shoot down the plane to avoid another large-scale terrorist attack, putting them in a difficult and dangerous position. The second season, however, doesn’t feature a conflict of the same scale, either on the train or elsewhere.

The actors in the control room are strong and manage to make even the simplest lines of dialogue engaging. portrays Clara Berger, the train dispatcher who communicates directly with Sam. Vicari, who was fantastic in Dark, delivers another impressive performance as a woman overwhelmed by the situation but increasingly invested in what’s happening. Toby Jones and Christiane Paul also appear as new characters tasked with halting the train, though their roles aren’t particularly memorable.

Christine Adams is back as Marsha Smith-Nelson, Sam’s former wife, and she convincingly portrays a self-reliant woman in tough situations. However, her storyline feels predictable and unnecessarily complicates the plot, ultimately reducing her to a plot device to drive Sam’s actions. Max Beesley returns as DI Daniel O’Farrel, but his character feels strangely separate from the rest of the story, even though he’s personally involved.

The most engaging part of the series is what unfolds on the hijacked train, though it doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The show could have benefited from a wider range of characters and exploring how their personalities would collide during the crisis. For example, a character with a severe fear of trains is introduced but this interesting detail is never developed. While a few characters get moments to shine, they often fade from the story just as you start to care about them.

Hijack Does Not Deserve Idris Elba’s Leading Man Talents

Idris Elba deserves praise for his ability to instantly switch from charming to menacing when portraying Sam’s darker impulses. He plays Sam as someone naturally inclined towards evil, but who has always suppressed it until now. There’s a compelling parallel to a character from Season 1, but Sam’s sudden shift in personality remains unsettling. He often feels like an outsider within the story, yet Elba’s captivating presence is so strong it almost overwhelms everything else.

Season 2 of Hijack does a better job of giving Idris Elba someone to consistently interact with. Christian Näthe plays Otto, the train driver, and he’s brilliantly chaotic, creating a great contrast with Sam’s calm and analytical character. Their dynamic allows them to work through problems logically while also exploring the emotional core of the story.

Beyond that, Season 2 of Hijack lacks the elements needed to really succeed. When the central mystery starts to unravel, it does so in a confusing way, relying on characters we don’t care about. The show constantly emphasizes the danger to the passengers, but eventually, it feels like they could simply get off the train. Unnecessary complications are introduced, creating problems that don’t need to exist. Unlike a plane, where passengers are trapped, these characters have an easy way out.

Apple TV should have capitalized on Idris Elba’s talent by giving him a stronger follow-up show. While Season 2 of Hijack took over two years to create, it feels rushed and uninspired. The ending even mirrors the first season’s finale, making it a disappointing and unoriginal experience. Ultimately, Season 2 diminishes Hijack from a gripping, real-time thriller into just another limited series that would have been better left as a single season.

Hijack Season 2 premieres January 14 on Apple TV.

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2026-01-06 11:07